Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Introduction
Most people have heard someone claim to be OCD throughout their lives,
typically over something trivial. Maybe they like to keep something in a certain
order, or prefer to do things a certain way. However, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
is much more debilitating than most realize. OCD is a mental disorder where a
person has unwanted thoughts, or obsessions, that they cannot get out of their
head. To combat these thoughts, they are compelled to repeat certain actions and
behaviors that help with their anxiety.
Literature Review
28% of adults in the US report experiencing obsessions or compulsions at
some point (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, Nock, 2014). However, according to the
UOCD website, approximately 2.3% of the population between ages 18 54 suffers
from OCD. It is seen more often in women. Common obsessive thoughts include
fear of being contaminated by dirt or contaminating others, fear of losing control
and hurting someone, sexual or violent thoughts and images, the need to have
things in a certain order, and superstitions. (Smith, Segal, 2016). They begin to
wonder if they could, in fact, do the things that are popping into their head. Those
who suffer from OCD also have a tendency to hoard items they no longer need
around the house. Anxiety plays a large part, and is what leads the sufferer to their
compulsions. Attempting to suppress these thoughts can backfire, increasing the
frequency and intensity of the obsessive thoughts. (Schacter, et al., 2014). The
UOCD website states that these symptoms can be worsened due to stress, illness,
and fatigue.

How someone who suffers from OCD copes with their obsessions, their
compulsions, can vary in frequency and type. When completing them, people are
aware that this is a temporary fix, but are unable to fight the need to do them.
Common compulsive behaviors include; excessive double checking of things,
repeatedly checking in on loved one's safety, counting, tapping, repeating certain
words, excessive cleaning, ordering and rearranging things, frequent prayer, and
hoarding. (Smith, Segal, 2016). While they are always excessive, it can vary
considerably in intensity and frequency. (Schacter, et al., 2014). This could mean
someone washes their hands several times for a certain amount of time, or
repeatedly until their hands are bleeding hours later.
Family studies indicate a moderate genetic heritability for OCD. Relatives of
individuals with OCD are more likely to have some type of anxiety disorder.
(Schacter, et al., 2014). The UOCD website claims that OCD is found in all ethnic
groups, and it is found in both men and women. They also state that the age of
onset is typically reported as 6 15 for males, and 20 29 for females, and is
usually by age 40. The biological mechanisms that contribute to OCD have not been
identified, but one hypothesis indicates heightened neural activity in the caudate
nucleus of the brain, a portion of the basal ganglia known to be involved in the
initiation of the intentional actions. (Schacter, et al., 2014). Drugs that increase
serotonin can relieve some of the symptoms, but medication alone is rarely
effective in relieving the symptoms of OCD. (Smith, Segal, 2016). There are other
methods incuding some self help, and therapy (whether group or family) that can
help.
Application

Like many others, I had one thought that I may suffer from Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder at a young age. I spent hours reading articles while at work,
and taking silly quizzes that would tell me what symptoms I had. I fit into the
category of those that simply have a few unusual quirks, and had no more intrusive
thoughts than your average person. For this portion of my paper, I watched an
interview with Howie Mandel, a famous A List actor who has been diagnosed with
OCD.
The interview begins by following Howie into the studio, showing his struggle
to simply enter the building without touching the door handle. We follow along as he
points along the stairs, saying "Hand rails are my enemy". His obsession is germs,
and is well known for his fist bump on his television show. I found it interesting that
his issue is not necessarily with touching, but specifically the handshake. To him, his
hand was a "petri dish" for germs, as he makes an off handed comment about
previously spending hours washing his hands. To go along with his need for
cleanliness, he even keeps his head shaved bald. To him, dealing with OCD is a
different type of fear, a terror. His OCD almost caused him to pass on hosting his hit
show, Deal or No Deal.
During the interview, he makes a small mistake of dropping his anti-anxiety
pill. It was heartbreaking to watch him struggle with the need to take the pill, but his
OCD pushing him to fear it. This isn't a small thing for him, it's not something that is
a joke to him. The same interview shows a few small clips of a girl crying because
the fear of contamination causes her to be unable to sit next to her own mother on
a couch. Another clip shows an upset mother, discussing a time she had to pull her
daughter out of the shower that she had been in for hours that day.

Towards the end, Howie discusses his home life with his family. He struggled
as his kids grew up, and had to put in a second house for him to escape those few
times a month that his disorder became too much for him to handle. He is able to
have most normal interactions with his family, such as hugging or kissing. He
stresses that it is primarily hands that he has the issue with. The exception being
when a family member is sick.
Conclusion
The way that I view OCD has changed significantly since I started this paper.
People talk about it frequently, but most do not understand what this truly means
for someone who suffers with the disorder. It slows down large aspects of people's
lives, and it takes watching someone's struggle with it to truly understand what
they go through. My research has lead me to see that this is affects more people
than we realize, and there needs to be a greater awareness to those who do not
deal with this in their every day lives. For those who struggle with OCD, it hurts
when others make snide comments about something they do not understand.

References
Schacter, D. L., Gilbert, D. T., Wenger, D. M., & Nock, M. K. (2014). Psychology (3rd
ed.). New York, NY: World.
Smith, M., & Segal, J. (2016, May). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Retrieved
June 09, 2016, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/obssessivecompulsive-disorder-ocd.htm

Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder UOCD (n.d.). Facts & Statistics on

OCD. Retrieved from http://understanding_ocd.tripod.com/ocd_facts_statistics.html